Credit: John Wilcox

FOXBORO — Earlier in the week, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning underwent his third surgical procedure on his neck in the last 19 months. That reality knocked him off the field for tomorrow’s game and for the foreseeable future.

Manning hasn’t been placed on injured reserve yet, but he is expected to be out at least two months after having neck fusion surgery. The superstar passer could miss the entire season.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady understands. He tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee during the second series of the 2008 season opener. He missed the rest of the season, learning how trying it is to watch your team compete without you. Naturally, Brady felt for Manning, his yearly foil and a face of the league.

Brady said he didn’t know much about the specifics of the surgery; he just knows how tough Manning is.

“He’s such a competitor,” Brady told the Herald yesterday. “It (stinks) not seeing him out there. Hopefully, he gets well soon. He’s a huge reason for why the NFL, why people follow it so closely. I think we as competitors, whenever you play great teams, you always want to play them with their best players. He’s been a great one for a long time.”

Even before Manning’s news became public, Brady spoke with some sadness at the possibility the Dec. 4 Patriots-Colts game might not include both prolific quarterbacks. But if Manning recovers in 10 weeks — which is possible — he could be back for the Nov. 13 game against Jacksonville.

Bodden: Thumbs up

Cornerback Leigh Bodden missed the last part of the preseason as he nursed an injured thumb. The heavily wrapped appendage won’t keep him out of Monday’s game.

“I feel good,” said Bodden, a presumptive starter. “My legs are fine. My arms are fine. I can do everything a football player needs to do to get ready for a football game.”

Setbacks happen, but Bodden has shrugged this one off.

“When I get on the field,” he said, “I plan to be the player that I am.”

Gronk II “all business”

Dan Gronkowski knows his family’s reputation as a funny, boisterous group, yet the new Patriots tight end said he wasn’t “celebrating or anything” when he signed to join his brother, Rob. There wasn’t time.

“It’s all business,” Dan Gronkowski said. “It’s awesome to be playing with my brother. But talking to coach Bill (Belichick) right after I signed, he made the point that it’s all business and we’re not messing around here.”

Joining his brother and Aaron Hernandez, Dan Gronkowski may face a quick acclimation. He spent last year in Denver with former Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels, which meant he immediately recognized some of the plays and terminology.

“The playbook is very similar to what I’ve been in with Josh McDaniels, so I just have little things I have to learn and pick up,” he said. “It feels like I’ve been here for a while now, but it’s been a couple days.”

Feeling good?

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, teams couldn’t have two-a-days and they are mostly limited to one full-pads practice a week. Yet that hasn’t left players feeling underworked heading into the opener.

“To be honest with you, I feel about the same,” receiver Wes Welker said. “I feel like we’ve gotten after it pretty good during practice this week, and having the extra day and everything seemed even longer. At the end of the day, hopefully we’re a little bit more refreshed and a little bit more ready to go. We’ll see.”

Anderson sticks

Defensive end Mark Anderson made the cut. He’ll be with the team in Miami. He arrived at camp hoping to show enough to stick around, so he accomplished his goal.

“You’re always going to have competition, but you can’t worry about it,” said Anderson. “When I get to a new team, I say, ‘I’m going to make this team.’ I know I’m going to give it my all. If I give it my all, I’m pretty sure I’m going to do enough for the coaches to see what I can do.”